NEURAL AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES

Curriculum

Training in the Neural and Cognitive Sciences (NCS) emphasizes the development of both experimental and theoretical skills. The curriculum is sufficiently flexible to accommodate students' varied interests.

We offer courses in statistics, cognitive psychology, basic neuroscience and cognition, visual and auditory perception, neuroethology, behavioral ecology, artificial neural networks, language, evolutionary psychology, and other subjects. Though students traditionally choose to focus almost exclusively on cognitive science or neuroscience, the program allows students to become involved in research that integrates the two sub-fields. Training is offered both through the Department of Psychology and through the J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind, and Behavior.

The program is designed as a 4-year program with Years 1 and 2 devoted to taking graduate courses and completing a Master's Thesis, and Years 3 and 4 devoted to completing a doctoral dissertation along with any remaining course requirements.

We also offer a 5-year dual degree program that combines master's degrees in computer science and psychology with a Ph.D. in psychology.

All students are required to take two statistics courses and a research methods course. In addition, students are required to select 4 courses from a set of  "Content Core" psychology courses that fall outside the student's major area of study.

Summer assistantships are often available, especially for first-year students. Most students will be involved in research that requires a year-round commitment from the student.

We are interested in attracting students with research experience in any area of  neuroscience or any area of cognitive psychology. We are also interested in students who may not have an extensive background in psychology, but who have training in other fields, such as biology, computer science, linguistics, mathematics, engineering, or the physical sciences. Prospective graduate students are strongly encouraged to contact individual faculty members whose specific interests they share.